Beet-harvester.



L. E. STARKEY.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 12,1912.

' Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Innen/tw L. E. STARKEY.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 12.1912.

. ,127 ,537. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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APPLIQATION FILED NOV. l2, 1912.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

gmuzntoz E. ,59a Mey #ma 6W@ shaft is oscillated, For the purpose of actuating the rock shaft 15, it is provided with an arm 17 which is connected by a link 18 with a hand lever' 19 which is suitably moignted in convenient proximity to the operator for whom a seat 20 is provided. The lever 19 and the parts actuated thereby may be retained at various adjustments by means .of 'a stop member of well known constructionengaging a segment rack 21.

llach of the beams 7 carries a biturcated standard 22 equipped with lifting blades 23, whereby they beets are pushed or lifted from the ground, and each of the beams is also curved downwardly 'at its rear end to present a standard 24 carrying'an inclined digger blade 25, the rear edge of which is provided with upwardly extending spaced rods 26 over which the beets will be pushed or guided on to the carriers to be presently described.

A gatheringv device is provided consisting of a rake comprising a plurality of curved teeth 27 connected with a cross bar or head 28 havingforwardly extending arms 29 provided with terminal rings or clips 30 that are pivoted on the axle 1. The rake head 28 is also provided with treadles 31 enabling the rake to be tilted by theA feet of the operator. rlhe rake is positioned intermediate the longitudinal frame bars 4, 4 so as to travel between the rows of beets that are being operated upon for the purpose of gathering the tops 4which may thus be deposited Ain piles at4 suitable intervals to enable'them to be conveniently gathered.

The main frame of the machine is provided with downwardly extending arrns or brackets 32, said arms 'extending down- Wardly from each of the bars 3, 3 and. 4, 4, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The arms 32 depending from each pair of frame bars 3 and 4 aiord bearings for a shaft 33 supporting the lower end of an inclined car-r rier 34, the upper end of which is supported on a shaft 35 journaled at the rear ends of the frame' bars 3, 4. The carrier frame 34 supports longitudinal screen bars 36, and an endless carrier 37 is guided over the shafts 33, 35 which are provided with toothed wheels or sprockets to support said carrier.

Each .carrier 37 vis provided with cleats or flights 38 extending across the screen bars 36 for the purpose of conveying the beets that are deposited on the carrier iul an upward direction over the screen bars which well. known construction.

meneer permit loose dirt to drop upon the ground while the beets are discharged over the elevated rear'ends of the carriers 37.

Eachl pair of frame bars 3, 4 supports a bracket B comprising a semi-circular or U- shaped track portion 39 and upwardly extending curved arms 40 which are terminally connected with the'rear ends of the trame bars 3, 4. Theil-shaped portion of each bracket B is reinforced by a T-brace 41 having a bearing for an axial bolt 42 on which is pivoted a U-shaped frame 43 .'supporting a carrier frame 44 provided at the ends thereof with shaftsA 45 from which a suitably supported endless carrier 46 is guided. Each of the carrier frames 44 is provided with a bracket 47 supporting and riding on the track portion 39-of one of the brackets B, and serving to maintain the carrier frame in a tilted or inclined position, as shown. Each of the axial bolts 42I supports an approximately horizontal wheel 48, said wheel being a double bevel gear having upper and lower beveled and toothed faces 49, 50, as best Seen in Figs. 4 and 5. Motion is transmitted trom the upper bevel face of each wheel 48r to one of the carriers 46 by means of a train of gears housed ina casingA 52 adjacent to the U-shaped bracket 43, and including a bevel pinion 53 and intermeshing spur wheels 54, 55 and 56, the latter being mounti ed on a shaft 57 journaled transversely in the carrier frame 44v and having sprocket wheels 58 that engage the chains whichconstitute the lexible elements of the endless carrier. v

The axle 1 1s provided w1th transm1ss1on .wheels 59 which are normally' loose on the axle, but which may be connected operatively therewith by means of clutches 60 of Motion is transmitted from each wheel 59 to the shaft 35 at the upper rear ,end of one of the carriers 37. Motion is likewise transmitted from the shaft 33 at the lower front end of each carrier 37 to a shaft 61 having a bevel pinion 62meshing with the lower bevel face 50 of one of the wheels 48.

The carrier :trames 44 are normally disf posed transversely of the machine approxilic mately at right an les to the carrier frames 4 34, and one of the ames 44 will overlap the lower end of the other frame 44, as will be very clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

As seen in this view, material deposited on the carriers mounted in the frames v44 by the carriers mounted in the frames 34 will be delivered to the left side of the machine. The carrier frames' 44, however, may be swung or moved about the axes of the bolts 42 from the left tothe right side of the frame, when the frame which was previously overlapped will obviously overlap its mate, thus delivering material at the right side of the is claimed as new, is

machine. This change or movement of the carrier frames from one side of the machine to the other may be very easily andv quickly effected, since the supporting brackets 47 will ride over the curved portions .39 of the vbrackets B, as upon turn tables, until the desired adjustment has been made. Means may obviously be used for securing the parts at the desired adjustment, although it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate suchmeans. Y

For the purpose of moving the earth engaging elements carried by the digger frame into or out of operation a rock shaft is provided, as shown at 63, having arms 64 which are connected with the beams 7 by flexible elements, such as chains 55. The rock shaft 63 is actuatedvby a hand lever 66 having a suitable stop member operable by a handle f 67 and adapted to engagea segment rack 68 for the purpose of securing the hand lever and related parts in adjusted position.

From the foregoing description, taken in .connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the I"operation and advantages of this invention will I be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which'it appertains.

It will be seen that l have produced a very simple and inexpensive machine for operating on two rows' of beets which by the action of the machine will be topped Aand lifted from the ground, the'tops being moved into the path of the gathering rake, whereby they are gathered intol piles to be subsequently utilized as feed or for other purposes, while the beets are elevated and discharged adjacent to either sidel of the machine.

Having thus described the invention, what 1. A two row beet harvester comprising a main frame, a digger frame pivotally coniiected therewith and having two rearwardly extending beams, topping knives,V lifting blades and inclined diggers carriedby said beams, and means whereby said beams mayA b e -adjusea said topping knives being 0bhquely disposed to converge rearwardly and provided with upstanding flanges at their digger frame to gather the tops pushed into the path of said rake by the converging topping knives. Y 1

2. In a beet harvester, a main frame having two pairs of longitudinalframebars, each. pair constituting a subframe, a rake supported between the sub-frames, and digger 'beams supported between the' frame bars of eachsub-frame, said beams equipped with topping knives and .lifting and digging members. l 3. In a beet harvester, a main frame hav-` ing two pairs of longitudinal frame bars, each pair constituting a sub-frame, a rake supported between the sub-frames, and topl ping, digging and lifting with each sub-frame,'sa1d topping meansmeans connected comprisin substantially horizontal blades disposed o liquel and inclining rearwardly inthe direction o the space between the subframes, each cutting blade being provided with an upstanding ange at its rear edge.

`4. In a beet harvester, a main frame having parallel bars forming a sub-frame, a pivotally "supported beam extending rearwardly between the bars of the sub-frame,

and topping, digging and lifting means carl 50 rear edges; and a rake supported on the' v .main frame intermediate. the beams of the 

